


Thirst

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-23
Updated: 2004-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-25 01:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1625099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A retelling of the time between the Lone Islands and Dragon Island, largely from Edmund's perspective. Some m/m, but quite tame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thirst

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Donna Immaculata

 

 

The ship bobbed up and down, her bow pushing aside the froth-tipped waves as she slid smoothly eastward. To Edmund's eye,   
it seemed that only the horizon moved. Nothing existed but the ship, the sea and the sky.

Two days earlier they had left Lord Bern to his newfound authority as Duke of the Lone Islands, and sailed into the sunrise to take up their quest for Bern's fellows. The crew were in high spirits, refreshed by their time on dry land and reassured at having found one of the seven lost lords.   
Lucy was still thrilled at having come back to Narnia. Caspian was... It seemed as though the only other miserable person on the ship was Eustace. It made Edmund more disgusted with himself that he was being placed in a category with that rotten stinker.

 _"Cheer up. I'm sure it will come all right in the end. You'll see."_ The sheer baseless optimism, the self-confidence - and the reassurance, directed purely at Lucy! How strange to be jealous of his sister, who saw Caspian only as a dear friend.   
_I needed your reassurance, too!_

Behind him, the sun descended; before him, the stars began to sparkle. The Leopard, named for Aslan's attendants, was just visible in the east. The Ship flew overhead while her earthly counterpart moved on before a gentle breeze. Edmund groaned to himself.   
Soon he would have to go to the cabin he shared with Eustace and Caspian, and face the twin torments that waited there.

* * *

"20 August." Eustace glared at his cousin as he dictate his diary to himself, his voice sharp and slightly whiny. "We left those awful islands behind two days ago. The others have been frightfully mean to me. They don't care one jot about the trauma of being held captive and threatened with   
a lifetime of enforced labour. Nobody here would care if I died. When we find a British Consul and they send me home, Harold and Alberta will know just how strange and cruel--"

The door opened, and Caspian came in. Eustace fell silent. He still wasn't entirely comfortable dealing with the tall blond king, and while he might complain about being trapped on a ship and their inability to contact the British mainland,   
he restrained his loutish behaviour somewhat in the presence of Narnians - at least compared to his time alone with his cousins. Caspian smiled cheerfully at them.

"Good evening, companions. Drinian says we make good time." He looked at Edmund's tired expression and frowned.   
"Are you well, Brother?"

"Fine, Caspian. A little tired. I think I'll go to sleep now." He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and lay on his hammock facing the wall with his eyes open. Behind him, he could hear the scratching of   
Eustace's pen and the sounds of Caspian preparing for sleep. Within five minutes, the King was snoring softly. He slept so easily. Edmund could never understand it. With that soft breathing so close to him, he wouldn't sleep for hours.

* * *

The storm, when it hit, took them all by surprise. The weather went from a clear blue sky to black clouds and harsh winds in moments. As soon as the ship started heaving and pitching, Edmund rolled out of his hammock and staggered to the cabin door. Lucy had been above decks...   
Barreling out the door, he crashed into Caspian. For a moment he could smell spiced wine and a hint of saltwater. "Where'd Lucy go?" he gasped.

"She came below," Caspian assured him. "She's already in her cabin. Go and talk to her if you wish, but remember not to go above. The crew will have enough trouble without us getting in their way."

Eustace rolled through the hatch and tumbled to the ground. He curled into a ball and groaned to himself. "Make it stop...make it stop..." he mumbled over and over. Caspian sighed and hoisted him by his left shoulder.

"Could you take the other side, Edmund?" he asked, pretending Eustace wasn't turning green before their very eyes. Edmund helped heave his cousin onto the bunk.

"I'll just go check on Lu, shall I?" He made his way out the door and dragged himself up to the next level of the ship, where he found Lucy pressed against the wall of her bunk.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Ed!" she exclaimed. "The storm is dreadful! I don't believe I've seen anything quite so bad in all my time in Narnia."

"Will you be all right up here? Do you need to come down to our room?"

"I'm quite safe. Besides, I'd rather sit out the storm in my beautiful cabin than spend the time with Eustace!"

"Yes, it'll be dreadful being cooped up with him for who knows how long." Edmund sat on the edge of the bunk. "At least he's a little better around Caspian, though I don't know how long that will last. Are you sure you'll be all right? You can come visit us any time, you know."

"Don't worry. I will. You should go back, though, and rescue poor Caspian from Eustace."

Edmund leaned back and closed his eyes. "You're right, you lucky thing. We'll check on you every so often if the storm lasts."

* * *

By the sixth day of the storm, nobody could remember what it felt like to be dry. Waves had crashed down on them ceaselessly, and the shrieking wind and roaring thunder made what little sleep they could grab almost worthless.   
Reepicheep had stayed in Lucy's cabin since the first day, promising to protect her with his very life. Edmund and Caspian spent a few hours a day there, discussing the ship's status with Drinian and Rhince. Eustace hadn't left his bed since Edmund and Caspian had put him there.   
A few days after he threw up what had been in his stomach, the air in the cabin was almost fresh again. Changing his sheets had been a challenge, and they had been left in a chest in the hold to be washed when the weather was more conducive to such things.   
He passed most of his time between complaining that no one would feed him and reminding them that he hadn't asked to be brought to the _Dawn Treader_ and he was still waiting for them to find him a British Consul.

Eventually, when they couldn't bear it any longer, Caspian asked Drinian for some herbs to quieten their guest. When they got back from Lucy's that evening, his snores were challenging the thunder.

Again they clambered into their hammocks, hoping for a few hours' rest in spite of it all.   
But as Edmund pressed his eyes shut and thought about how wonderful silence was, he felt a hand press against his shoulder.

"Edmund!" Caspian roared. "Might I speak with you a few moments?"

Nodding groggily, Edmund pressed his chin to his chest and tried to think clearly.   
It had been so long since he had truly felt refreshed.

Caspian moved closer to be more easily heard. Shouting into Edmund's ear, he said, "It seems your cousin suffers more than any man aboard. Is there nothing we can do for him? Your sister's cordial does little.   
It seems something deeper affects him."

"Does being a selfish nuisance count?" Edmund shook his head. "There's nothing we can change to make him feel better. If there were, we'd have done it years ago."

Caspian seemed to accept this, but hesitated rather than moving away.   
"The storm seems like it will last some time," he said after a moment. "We may be cooped up down here for days yet." There was something odd in his voice, though it was hard to tell when he was speaking so loudly and yet only barely audible over the background.

"If it does, can we shove Eustace in with his sheets?" He pressed his palms against his eyes. "Bother. I need to sleep, Caspian."

The ship lurched to port, and Caspian was thrown against Edmund, who grabbed him with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around the hammock.   
For a moment they were pressed together, battling gravity, fingers intertwined. A sudden thump and a shriek from starboard made them jerk apart. Eustace was sitting on the floor, entangled in his blanket, with the glazed look of someone whose medicine hasn't quite worn off.   
"What are you doing? Help me up!"

The older boys glanced at each other, Caspian barely patient, Edmund guilty. Yet again, they dragged Eustace from the ground and tossed him unceremoniously into bed. Without saying another word, they climbed into their hammocks,   
determined to wait out the rest of the storm.

* * *

The third of September. The storm was finally over. Twelve days trapped in a cabin, going mad. Hell really was other people, in all kind of ways. Being around Eustace was torture at the best of times,   
but infinitely more so when he really had something to complain about; and the confusion he felt at Caspian's presence had grown with every passing hour. Three times he had caught the king looking at him, brooding. Perhaps he blamed the Pevensies for having brought such a curse down on them.

"Edmund!" Lucy leapt down the ladder. "The casks have sprung leaks. We lost too much water during the storm. Caspian says things will be very hard on us, and we can only last twelve days on half rations. Eustace is kicking up a terrible fuss!"

"He would, too," Edmund groaned. "He'll only get worse, I suppose."

"Have you noticed anything...odd about Caspian?" Lucy's brow creased lightly.

"No, no, nothing at all." Looking this guilty so often was going to take some getting used to.   
"He's probably glad to be`out of the cabin, away from Eustace. I certainly am."

Lucy leaned on the rail and examined her brother's face. "There's definitely something wrong with you, whatever about him." She rested her hand on his shoulder, nudging him slightly.   
"You know you can tell me, whatever it is."

"It's nothing, Lu." Edmund stared shamefacedly at his hands, then turned his attention to the sunset that had smeared the sky with pinks and oranges. "I'll deal with it."

She wrapped both arms around him. "If there's anything I can do..."

He hugged her back. "Thanks, Lu."

* * *

Edmund's prediction was proven right the following day. After leaving the mess he came across Lucy and Eustace sitting on the stairs to the forecastle.   
He was quivering and moaning, staring at the cup of water in her hand. "I'm so _thirsty_ ," he whispered. "If I could just have another drop, I know I would feel much better."

Without even a moment's hesitation, she offered him the cup.

"Lucy! You can't do that. You need water, too." Edmund was horrified at his cousin's pathetic attempts to steal from a girl, especially one as soft-hearted as Lucy.

Eustace jumped up, looking much more animated than he had the moment before.   
" _I_ need it much more than she does!" he shrieked. "I'm hot and tired and thirsty and _I need that water_!"

"What is this, good companions?" No one had heard Caspian come out on deck, and Eustace at least managed to look somewhat ashamed of himself.   
"Surely we are not reduced to such behaviour already? We have been on half-rations scarcely two days, with many more to come. Land could be sighted at any moment. Such comportment ill befits any of us."

With a poisonous glare at Edmund, Eustace stalked off towards their cabin.   
Lucy moved to go after him, but Edmund grabbed her arm. "Drink it first. You need it." She blinked, but knew there was nothing she could do to get out of it. She downed the remaining water in one gulp, and raced off.

Edmund collapsed on the ground. "I don't believe him," he growled. "Trying to steal water from a girl. And she nearly _let_ him."

Sitting down next to him, Caspian offered a smile. "It was dealt with. We can keep watch on him in future.   
Surely he has been shamed into repenting; and, if not, we shall soon know of it."

"To be honest, I'm not feeling all that well myself. I keep getting dizzy. Not fully recovered from the storm, I suppose." He shook his head.   
"I can't even go to the cabin and rest. Not when he's there."

Caspian stood, and helped Edmund up. "We shall both go to the cabin, and rest. With food and water in short supply, we would do well to conserve our strength.   
It may be all you need, and with us both there Eustace is more likely to hold his tongue." He caught Edmund under the should and offered him support. "Lean on me, brother. You seem faint. If it persists, we may ask Lucy for a drop of her cordial.   
For now, though, some bed-rest may be all you require."

* * *

Five days passed in a blur. Eustace spent most of his time lying in bed after Reepicheep caught him trying to steal water.   
Edmund and Caspian wandered around the ship together most of the time. Edmund needed to lie down and rest often, and Caspian watched over him carefully.

"You are sure you won't stay in the cabin?" he asked for the fiftieth time.

"Nothing could be worse than having to spend more time cooped up with him," Edmund replied wearily. Lucy's cordial had broken his fever, but he was still weak and his body couldn't recover fully without more water.   
They were both sipping from the half-cupfuls they had received, making the liquid last as long as possible. Caspian stood up, glanced about, and before Edmund could do anything, poured the rest of his water into the other boy's cup.

"Hey! Caspian!" Wide-eyed and shocked, Edmund protested the gift. "You said yourself, everyone was to have their share, and no more."

"Nobody need know. Our secret. Without more water, who knows how long it will take you to heal?" He grinned lopsidedly.   
"Besides, another few days and it won't matter one way or the other."

" _Land!_ " The shriek came from the bow. Everyone on decks not occupied by running the ship raced forward, leaping and shoving, trying to see their salvation.   
Within a few minutes word had spread belowdecks, and Lucy came with the crowd of crewmen who surged up. She grinned encouragingly at Edmund. The skin on her lips cracked, and she looked tired, but the light in her eyes seemed to say that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Having sailed for two more days, they landed on the island. Everyone pitched in to help, searching for a mast, repairing and refilling the casks - everyone, that is, except Eustace, who wandered off on his own.   
Edmund realised this late in the evening, and no one could remember having seen him for hours. Even though they searched until long after the sun had set, there was no sign of him. Lucy cried for hours, and when Edmund and Caspian finally made their way back to the cabin,   
Edmund was quite ready to beat himself up about it. "I'm the one who brought him here, whether I meant to or not. He's not able for this sort of thing. I should have taken care of him! It's not like Lucy should have to handle these things, she tries but she's still only a kid."   
He paced the cabin, which seemed much bigger with just the two of them. "I should go back out there and look for him myself, now, tonight--" He swerved and headed for the door; Caspian jumped up and blocked it.

"He can't have gone far. It's a small island, nothing could really live here. Edmund..." He leaned closer. "Stay here. With me." His hand stroked Edmund's gaping face. He leaned in, closing the door of the cabin.

"You can't mean that." Regret, pain, confusion seeped into Edmund's voice. "Soon, I'll be going back to the Other Place. It won't work. It can't work."

"Soon I'll have a kingdom to protect, and heirs to father, and a hundred and one other things.   
Soon this will all have to end. But tonight, it's just us, here. Eustace can take care of himself for one night. Just let me hold you, and forget about him. I see how it hurts you, always trying to take care of things. I know it can't last. But tonight..."   
Lips still hard and dry pressed together, drinking of each other, feeling more satisfied by contact than by water. They held each other in the silent cabin, knowing it was a brief, shining moment of refreshment. For the first time since coming to Narnia,   
Edmund slept soundly, comfortable in Caspian's arms.

* * *

* * *

Note: Working from the timeline in the book, according to Eustace's diary:

8/6: Arrive on ship  
8/7: First diary entry  
8/8: Fight with Reepicheep  
Assume land found the following morning, so  
8/9: Lone Islands  
8/10: Rescue  
Stay on island c. 3 weeks, say 18 days, so  
8/28: Set sail  
Storm hits after a few days, say 3, so  
8/31: Storm hits  
Storm lasts 12 days/nights, so  
9/12: Storm ends  
BUT diary entry for after storm says 9/3.

For the purposes of this story, we will take the storm as lasting 8/22 - 9/3 and so the story begins 8/20

 


End file.
